ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Railways
IRCTC TO CUSTOMIZE THE MENU SO AS TO INCLUDE THE ITEMS OF REGIONAL CUISINES:
This is an effort to improve catering services on trains
Menu and tariff of such a-la-carte meals and meals for prepaid meals trains will be decided by IRCTC
IRCTC will also decide the MENU for Standard Meals in other mail/Express trains
Menu and tariff of Janta meals shall remain unchanged
Menu and tariff of such a-la-carte meals will be decided by IRCTC
IRCTC shall ensure upgradation in quality and standards of food
As a measure to improve catering services on trains, it has been decided to give IRCTC flexibility to customize the menu so as to include the items of regional cuisines/preferences, seasonal delicacies, requirement during festivals, food items as per the preferences of different group of passengers such as diabetic food, baby food, health food options including millet based local products, etc.
Accordingly, Railway Ministry has approved this on certain condition so that quality and hygiene of food will be maintained giving priority on local and seasonal food and food for certain categories of people.
For prepaid trains; in which catering charges are included in the passenger fare; the menu shall be decided by IRCTC within the tariff already notified. In addition, sale of a-la-carte meals and branded food items on MRP will also be permitted on these prepaid trains. Menu and tariff of such a-la-carte meals will be decided by IRCTC.
For other mail/Express trains, menu budget segment items like standard meals shall be decided by IRCTC within the fixed tariff already notified. Menu and tariff of Janta meals shall remain unchanged.
Apart from this, Sale of a-la-carte meals and branded food items on MRP will be permitted on mail/Express trains. Menu and tariff of such a-la-carte meals will also be decided by IRCTC.
While deciding the menu, IRCTC shall ensure that; upgradation in quality and standards of food and service is maintained and safeguards are built into avoid frequent and undue changes such as curtailment in quantity and quality, use of inferior brands etc to avoid passenger grievances. Similarly, the menu should be commensurate with the tariff and menus are pre-notified for information of passengers and advised to Railways before introduction.
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Ministry of Defence
Second draft of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 placed in the public domain inviting suggestions
Second draft of the Defence Procurement Procedure  2020, which has now been titled as ‘Defence Acquisition Procedure  2020’, has been uploaded on the website of Ministry of Defence  inviting suggestions/comments from the various stakeholders and general public .
It may be recalled that the first draft DPP 2020 was web hosted and comments/recommendations/suggestions were solicited from various stakeholders by April 17, 2020; later extended to May 08, 2020. Since then, suggestions were received from various stakeholders, Services, industry running into more than 10,000 pages.
After an analysis of these comments received from various agencies, specific interactions were also carried out with the entire spectrum of stakeholders, both in person and via web conferences in order to understand their precise concerns.
The amended second draft has since been finalised by the review committee driven by tenets of defence reforms announced as part of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ and has been placed in the public domain.
Specific comments on the same are once again solicited on the amended draft latest by August 10, 2020.
Ministry of Defence
INNOVATIONS FOR DEFENCE EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
Innovations for Defence Excellence  framework was launched by the Government with the aim to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace Sector by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia and promote self-reliance. The Government has approved a central sector scheme viz. Innovations for Defence Excellence  with budgetary support of Rs 498.78 crore for the next 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The objective of the scheme is to provide financial support to nearly 300 start-ups/MSMEs/individual innovators and about 20 Partner incubators through Defence Innovation Organisation .
Under iDEX route, the Government focuses on innovation and design & development, and supports the start-ups and innovators for successful prototype development. So far, 132 start-ups have been engaged and 66 contracts have been signed for prototype development. Out of them, Indian Navy, after successful trials, has placed a supply order on one iDEX winner. Moreover, the Ministry has also accorded Acceptance of Necessity  for 14 more iDEX products, paving the way for placement of orders on the iDEX winners.
iDEX incentivizes the youth to participate in iDEX as start-ups by providing grants, easier and faster access to test facilities/infrastructure available with various Government agencies, co-creation and co-development using smooth operating procedures and facilitating procurement, thus making the entire regime conducive for them.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Shri Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma in Lok Sabha on March 25, 2022.
Ministry of Steel
SAIL, Ministry of Steel, actively participates in ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations
Steel Authority of India Limited , a Maharatna CPSE under Ministry of Steel has undertaken several activities at its various Plants and Units to commemorate the 75 years of India’s independence under the banner of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
At SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant the celebrations began with a massive plantation drive on 12th August 2021. The drive was started by planting a ‘Bakul’ sapling at Rourkela House. Simultaneous plantation activity was carried out adjacent to Sector – 20 Ground, by different groups like senior citizens, Yoga groups from different Community Centres, Covid warriors, members of Rotary Club members, CISF personnel and employees of Town engineering, Town Services and CSR. Around 325 flowering shrubs like Kanchan, Kumkum, Patuli, Cassealata and Bakul were planted in different batches to mark the occasion.
The plantation activity will continue during the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. Meanwhile, the Steel Plant has also chalked out further series of activities to commemorate the momentous 75 years of Independence with active participation of employees and different segments of the society.
SAIL Rourkela Steel Plant also joined the nationwide fitness drive by participating in Fit India Freedom Run launched to commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on 13th August, 2021. The run commenced with a pledge taking ceremony where everyone resolved to include physical activity of at least 30 minutes daily in their lives. The main aim of the Run4India programme is to enlist more and more participation of citizens of the country in the celebration of 75 years of India's Independence and also ensure health, fitness and well-being of every citizen.
One of the flagship units of SAIL, Bhilai Steel Plant has also undertaken a series of activities to celebrate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, which has seen active participation. As part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, 75 saplings were planted at Ispat Bhavan and near Maitri Bagh.
A Quiz on India@75 was organised for Management Trainees at HRD Centre. An online ‘Kavi Sammelan’ was organised by Rajbhasha Department. An Exhibition Women’s Hockey Match was also held at Handball Ground. A Fit India Run was organized by SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant at the BSL’s Mohan Kumar Mangalam stadium under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. A large number of people including senior officers, executives and management trainees participated.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Development of river front on Narayani River in Gopalganj, Bihar being undertaken at cost of Rs. 6.62 crore under Namami Gange Program
Under Namami Gange Program, the development of river front on Narayani River in the district of Gopalganj, Bihar has been undertaken and two Ghats have been constructed at a total cost of Rs. 6.62 crore.
River Gandak  was declared as National Waterway -37 from Bhaisalotan Barrage to Gandak and Ganga river confluence at Hajipur along with 111 NWs in the country vide National Waterways Act, 2016. Based on the findings of the study reports of Gandak River, the waterways was found feasible for development of shipping and navigation. However, due to non-availability of the potential cargo as well as very low navigational/vertical clearance due to structure located across NW-37 i.e., Rewa Ghat Bridge, developmental activities initiated on the Gandak River  have been kept in abeyance.
This information was given by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Ministry of Defence
THIRD GENERAL K SUNDARJI MEMORIAL LECTURE ON ‘INDIA’S ROLE IN EMERGING WORLD ORDER’ CONDUCTED AT MANEKSHAW CENTRE ON 3RD APRIL 2023
The 3rd General Sundarji Memorial Lecture was organised by the Indian Army at Manekshaw Centre to commemorate the memory of one of India’s foremost military thinkers, under the aegis of Mechanised Infantry Centre & School  and Centre for Land Warfare Studies . The event was attended by serving and retired officers of the three Services as well as literati and various think tanks. The lecture remembered the dynamic and visionary General K Sundarji, the 13th Chief of the Army Staff, who is also fondly called as the ‘Father of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment’.
In his keynote address, Lieutenant General Suchindra Kumar, Vice Chief of the Army Staff said that the Nation has upheld its global image as an emerging leader by taking responsible roles at various occasions especially during pandemic; and the Indian Army stands fully committed and prepared to fulfil the Nation’s expectations wherever possible. The speakers for the event were India’s former Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Shyam Saran and Lieutenant General Raj Shuka , Member UPSC and former Army Commander; who spoke on “India’s Role in Shaping the Emerging World Order” and “Addressing National Security Challenges” respectively. The informative talks were followed by a Question & Answer session, wherein the audience interacted with the speakers on both the contemporary topics.
Ministry of Defence
80th EME Corps Day Celebrated at Secunderabad
Secunderabad, 16 Oct 2022
The Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers  celebrated its 80th Corps Day on 15 Oct 2022. To commemorate the occasion, Lieutenant General JS Sidana, Commandant, MCEME & Colonel Commandant, Corps of EME laid a wreath at the EME War Memorial at Secunderabad and paid homage to the Brave Hearts who made the supreme sacrifice for the Nation. The solemn Wreath Laying ceremony, which was attended by serving and retired officers, JCOs and other ranks of EME along with their families, marks every soldier’s pledge to his fallen brethren that their valour will be eternally etched in the memory of the Nation, and that their courage and bravery will continue to inspire future generations to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Nation at all costs.
The wreath laying ceremony was followed by a Special Sainik Sammelan where Lt Gen JS Sidana exhorted all ranks to continue to strive for excellence and live up to the Corps motto of ‘Karm hi Dharm’ . In the last eight decades, the Corps of EME has carved out a niche for itself in almost every conceivable domain, whether it is provision of equipment sustenance to the entire spectrum of weapons and equipment of the Indian Army, technology absorption, indigenization efforts as part of the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ initiative, sports and adventure or any other arena. The innovative brilliance, thorough professional acumen and untiring zeal of all ranks of the Corps has ensured the operational readiness and mission reliability of the Indian Army at all times. The General Officer complimented all ranks of EME for their outstanding contributions in myriad spheres and expressed the confidence that the Corps of EME will continue to find practical solutions to the problem statements of the field army and prove to be a force multiplier in every sense of the term to the Indian Army. Some of the officers, JCOs and other ranks who excelled themselves in different domains were also felicitated by the General Officer during the Sainik Sammelan.
The Corps Day is celebrated every year to highlight the glorious history & valour of the Corps of EME which serves as an inspiration to the present generation. The celebrations at MCEME were not only marked by the enthusiasm and camaraderie amongst all ranks, but also reflected a strong resolve of the ‘Eagles’ fraternity to take the Corps to new pinnacles of glory and greater heights of excellence.
Lt Gen JS Sidana, Commandant, MCEME & Colonel Commandant, Corps of EME laying a wreath at the EME War Memorial at Secunderabad to pay homage to the Brave Hearts who made the supreme sacrifice for the Nation on the occasion of 80th Corps Day EME on 15 Oct 2022
Lt Gen JS Sidana, Commandant, MCEME & Colonel Commandant, Corps of EME laying addressing the all ranks of MCMEME on the occasion of 80th Corps Day EME on 15 Oct 2022
KTM/BSK/MCEME/16102022/PM
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Competition Commission of India
CCI approves acquisition of share capital of NSPIRA Management Services Private Limited by Mr. Puneet Kothapa, Ms. Ponguru Sindhura and Ms. Ponguru Sharani
The Competition Commission of India  approves acquisition of the share capital of NSPIRA Management Services Private Limited by Mr. Puneet Kothapa, Ms. Ponguru Sindhura and Ms. Ponguru Sharani under Section 31 of the Competition Act, 2002.
The proposed combination pertains to acquisition by Mr. Puneet Kothapa, Ms. Ponguru Sindhura and Ms. Ponguru Sharani , for the acquisition of, inter alia,  18.23% of the total issued and paid up share capital  of NSPIRA Management Services Private Limited  from NHPEA Minerva Holding BV; and  2.24% of the total issued and paid-up share capital  of the Target from Banyantree Growth Capital II, LLC .
Acquirers
The Acquirers presently collectively hold 79.48% of the shareholding in the Target. Mr. Puneet Kothapa is the Managing Director; and Ms. P. Sindhura is a Director of the Target. They are also the Promoters of the Target. Ms. P. Sharani holds 25.83% of the shareholding  in the Target.
NSPIRA
NSPIRA is a management service provider, established in the year 2013 with the objective of providing management services to educational institutions, majorly run by Narayana Group , the Narayana Education Trust, the Narayana Educational Trust). The said management services include, inter alia, administrative support, content development, exam and admission, infrastructure management, IT solutions, and housekeeping and security, renting and leasing of assets.
Detailed order of the CCI will follow.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Activities of 2022 discussed at BRICS STI Steering Committee: India to host 5 events
India will host five events in 2022, namely BRICS Startups Forum meeting, Working Groups meetings on Energy; Biotechnology & Biomedicine; ICT & High-Performance Computing; STIEP  Working Group Meeting and the launching of BRICS innovation Launchpad as a microsite, as per discussions at the 15th meeting of the BRICS Science Technology Innovation  Steering Committee on 17th January 2022.
The Calendar of BRICS STI activities and expected deliverables were discussed at the meeting organized virtually. India has successfully handed over the BRICS Chairmanship to China from January 2022. The theme for BRICS 2022 is “Foster High-Quality BRICS Partnership Usher in a New Era for Global Development”. A series of sectoral events and meetings, including Minister level and BRICS Summit, will be organized during the year.
The BRICS STI Steering Committee meeting was attended by representatives from BRICS scientific ministries, foreign Missions. From the Indian side, meeting was led by Shri Sanjeev Kumar Varshney, Advisor & Head International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology.
During the meeting organized virtually, the Chinese side presented broad outline of activities to be carried out during the whole year. It mainly includes thematic meetings, BRICS Young Scientist Conclave, Senior official, and Ministerial level meetings. A total of 25 events have been planned, of which India will host a total of five. DPIIT is the main executing agency for BRICS startups Forum and creation of innovation Knowledge Hub. The BRICS Young Scientist Conclave will be held in September 2022 in a virtual format, and thematic focus may be Carbon peak neutralization; Biomedicine, Artificial Intelligence, Material Science; Modern Agriculture.
China has proposed to host the 10th BRICS S&T Ministerial meeting and Senior Official Meeting in September 2022. The meeting theme would promote Open, Inclusive, and Shared Science, Technology, and Innovation. At the sideline of the Ministerial meeting, an exhibition will be organized showcasing outcomes of successful projects supported under the BRICS Framework Programme.
The meeting also discussed the finalization of BRICS Calendar of scientific events and programs. It was agreed that by the end of this month, all countries will notify the specific dates, venue, and format of meeting. India tentatively indicated willingness to host the STIEP working group meeting on 23rd – 24th March 2022 and BRICS Startups Forum Meeting in May/June 2022.
PIB Headquarters
EPFO, RO, Ahmadabad is celebrating Vigilance Awareness Week 2018
Ahmedabad, 26-10-2018
EPFO, RO, Ahmadabad is celebrating Vigilance Awareness Week 2018 from 29/L0/2018 to 03/1t/2018. Shri Ajeetkumar, RPFC-I, APFCs and all the staff members of RO, Ahmadabad took oath of integrity pledge on 29/10/2O18 at 11,00 a.m. Arrangements have been made for the customers/citizens for taking oath online pledge at Ro, Ahmadabad during the whole week.
As part of the -awareness drive posters/Banners are placed at various prominent places in the city for bringing awareness in public against corruption & benefit on various EPF Schemes.
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Ministry of Civil Aviation
More Routes proposed Under UDAN 4.1
UDAN 4.1 focused on connecting smaller airports
New routes proposed under Sagaramala Seaplane Services
On the commencement of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav ’ launched by Government of India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation  has proposed about 392 routes under UDAN 4.1 bidding process. The Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik  is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation  envisaged to make air travel affordable and widespread in the country. The scheme intends to boost inclusive national economic growth, employment opportunities, and air transport infrastructure development across the nation. Till date, 325 routes and 56 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalised under the UDAN scheme.
The UDAN 4.1 round is focused on connecting smaller airports, along with special helicopter and seaplane routes. In addition to these, some new routes have been proposed under the Sagaramala Seaplane Services in consultation with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
Smt. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA said, “Following the four successful rounds of bidding, the special UDAN 4.1 bidding round invites bids for priority routes which have not been covered under UDAN so far. This bidding round also includes routes specially requested by the State governments / UT administrations and earlier cancelled/terminated routes. We have observed great demand on many Tier-2 & Tier-3 UDAN routes attesting the necessity along with essentiality & criticality of these regional routes. We aim to equip our country with one of the strongest air connectivity networks”
Some of the operational flexibilities are extended to Airlines under the UDAN 4.1 to ensure suitable operation models to connect smaller cities/ airstrips. Additionally, operations under NSOP will be allowed for seaplane, fixed-wing aircraft, Helicopters for RCS Routes awarded under UDAN 4.1.
The Bid Document is uploaded on the Central Procurement portal of the National Informatics Centre inviting the bids from interested airlines. The bidding process is expected to be completed by 6 weeks.
Ministry of Coal
Ministry of Coal conducts workshop on way ahead for Jharia and Raniganj Master Plan
The Ministry of Coal , Govt. of India, organized a day-long workshop on “way ahead for Jharia and Raniganj Master Plan” at Central Coalfields Limited, a Jharkhand-based subsidiary of Coal India Ltd. today. The workshop was aimed at expediting rehabilitation of affected families to safer locations in Jharia  and Raniganj .
To avoid any natural mishaps at Jharia and Raniganj coalfields in Jharkhand and West Bengal, a master plan was drawn to rehabilitate the affected families to a safer location. Bharat Coking Coal Ltd and Eastern Coalfields Ltd- both subsidiaries of Coal India- have active mines in Jharia and Raniganj respectively.
Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal  , Govt. of India, Shri Vinod Kumar Tiwari, Joint Secretary, MoC, Govt of India, Shri B P Pati and other dignitaries were present during the workshop.
In the inaugural address, Additional Secretary, MoC Shri Vinod Kumar Tiwari pointed out that the government is very much concerned about the safety of humans living in coal-bearing areas in Jharia and Raniganj. He said that the company’s top priority should be to douse fire in Jharia by introducing new technologies. He further said that ECL had proactively doused active surface fire areas but fire remains a challenge in Jharia.
Addressing the participants, Director Technical, CIL Shri Binay Dayal said that CIL is committed to solve the issue of fire in Jharkhand and many scientific studies have been carried out in the past. Secretary Mines, Govt of Jharkhand Shri K Srinivasan too emphasized the importance of minerals in the state including coking coal.
Prior to the technical session, CMD, CCL Shri PM Prasad, who has been given additional charge of BCCL, welcomed dignitaries and senior officials for participating in the workshop.
Two technical sessions were organized during the day-long workshop. First session was chaired by Joint Secretary, MoC Shri BP Pati, in which present and former Deputy Collector, Dhanbad narrated the factual position of Jharia Master Plan. They said the Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority  is prioritizing tasks so that the affected families get to safer locations. Shri Peeush Kumar was the co-chair of the technical session,
The second scientific session was chaired by Director BCCL Shri Chanchal Goshwami, in which Prof. ISM, Dhanbad Shri VK Sinha talked about the fire fighting at Jharia- efforts made in the past.
Ministry of Power
NTPC signs MoU with Power Ministry detailing targets for FY 2020-21
Generation target under Excellent rating has been set as 340 BU
Capex target of Rs. 21,000 Crores and Revenue target of Rs. 98,000 Crores are also part of MoU
NTPC signed the Memorandum of Understanding  with Ministry of Power, Govt. of India, setting key targets for the year 2020-21 on 29-9-2020.
Key targets for 2020-21 under excellent category include 340 BU of electricity generation, 15 MMT of coal production, Rs. 21,000 Crores of Capex and Rs. 98,000 Crores of revenue from operations. The MoU also includes other financial parameters..
RCJ/M
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